Readily portable luggage-type electric heating device



July 7, 1964 s; s. GREEN 3,140,387

READILY `PORTABLE LUGGAGE-TYPE ELECTRIC HEATING DEVICE Filed Jan. l2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .35 2 /G 4 INVENTOR 'SALLY 5. SEEE/V ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,140,387 READILY PORTABLE LUGGAGE-TYPE ELECTRIC HEATING DEVICE Sally S. Green, Santa Fe, N. Mex. (P.0. Box 5083, Carmel, Calif.) Filed Jan. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 82,197 1 Claim. (Cl. 219-346) This invention relates to a heating device, and it particularly relates to a portable type of heating device which can be easily carried about like a piece of luggage and which is adapted for use in most parts of the world.

Many travelers, especially those who must go to small, out-of-the-way towns and villages where lodging accommodations are poor, or those who travel to remote parts of the world, find that the heating facilities in these places are very meager. It would, therefore, be a great convenience or even a necessity for them to have some sort of efficient heating means available with them at all times. However, it has heretofore been difficult to provide such heating means in an adequately portable yet efficient form since, if a heating device was made sufficiently light in weight, it could not provide sufficient heat, whereas if the device was sufficiently eflicient, it was too heavy to carry about. Furthermore, sinceV the heating units are generally of an electrical nature, there constantly arose the problem of compatability of the different type electrical circuits with the heating unit; for example, in Europe, the electrical receptacles are generally constructed to receive small, round prongs on an electrical plug while in the United States, the receptacles are generally constructed to receive wider, flat prongs.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention -to provide a portable heating device which can be effectively used almost anywhere in the world where electrical energy is available.

Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a portable heating device which is highly effective in use although it can be easily carried about like a piece of luggage. K

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable electric heating device which is simple in construction and not subject to easy damage.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved heating device, of the character described, that is 'easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly etlicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a heater embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, elevational view of the electrical plug forming part of the device of FIG. 1 and embodying the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5. Referring now in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a heating device, geneally designated 10, comprising a housing 12 of generally square or rectangular shape on the front face of which is provided a rectangular recess 14. The recess 14 is dened by inwardlyinclined side walls 18 ending in a rear wall 20. The housing 12 may be made of any desired material such as plastic, aluminum and the like, while the walls 18 and 20 are constructed of a heat-reflecting material such as alumi- ICC4 num, iron, steel or similar metal. Preferably, the housing 12 is of hollow construction and is filled with a lightweight heat insulating material 16 such as asbestos, fiber glass, mineral wool or the like, in the ordinary manner.

lExtending across the face of the recess 14 are three vertically-spaced rods 22, each of which is connected at its ends to opposite side walls 18 (as best shown in FIG. 1). These rods 22 support a pair of heating coils 24 and 26 by means of insulating members 28; the coil 24 being a low resistance coil while the coil 26 is a medium resistance coil. When both coils 24 and 26 are actuated, the heating unit is at high.y

A safety grid 30 is provided over the open face of the recess 14 as a protective guard against accidental contact with the heating coils.

The coils 24'and 26 are connected to a three-way switch shown generally at 32, this switch being actuated by a dial 34 having an indicating mark 36 movable from the O or olf position through the L or low position at which only the coil 24 is actuated, the M or medium position at which only the coil 26 is actuated, and the H or high position at which both Vthe coils 24 and 26 are actuated:

Connected tothe housing `12 across its' bottom is a `retractable plug 38 mounted at one end of an electrical cable 40. The cable 40 is adapted to be`normally held coiled around a spool 42 formed'by a pair of discs or flanges 44 fixed on a shaft 46. A torsion spring 48 surrounds the shaft 46 at one end and is connected'both to the shaft 46 and t'o the -housing 12 whereby the spring 48 acts to 'rotatably bias the shaft 46 in a direction to wind the cable 40 around the spool 42 to which the inner end of the cable 40 is attached.

The shaft 46 is journalled in ball-bearing mountings 50 at each end, these mountings 50 being connected to the innerV surface of the housing 12. At that end of the shaft 46 which is opposite the end on which is mounted the torsion spring 48,` there is provided a ratchet means 52 similar to that generally used on window shades or the like.v This ratchet means 52 is positioned on the shaftV 46 just outwardly of the corresponding ball-bearing mounting 50 (as best shown in FIG. 4).

Between the right hand flange 44 (as viewed in FIG. 4) andv the ratchetmeans y52 there is provided'on shaft 46 another disc or flange 54. lBetween the flange 54 and the adjacent llange 44, the shaft 46 has motmted thereon a pair -ofspaced brass rings 56 adapted to rotatably Vcontact correspondingspring steel lingers 58 mounted on a block 60 by means of screws, rivets, or the like shown at 62. The screws V62 also mount contact rings 64 which are, in turn, connected to switch 32 by wires 66. In this manner, the shaft 46 and, therefore, the cable 40, is always electrically connected to switch 32 throughout the rotation of shaft 46 and, consequently, in all retracted or extended positions of the cable 40.

The plug 38 comprises an insulating body 68 made of plastic or the like. Within the body 68 are two pairs of bores, one pair consisting of relatively wide, flat bores 70 while the other pair consists of relatively narrow, round bores 72. Each of these bores 70 and 72 are coated with an electrically conductive material indicated at 74 in FIG. 6. The bores 70 and 72 are each respecrelatively wide, flat prongs 84 of the United States type while the bores 72 and openings 82 are adapted to receive the relatively narrow, round prongs 86 of the European type. Both types of prongs 84 and 86 are positioned on a plug body or prong holder 88 made of the usual insulating material such as plastic, rubber, etc. The prongs 84 and 86 are integral with each other, the prongs 84 extending from the body 88 in one direction and the prongs 86 extending in the other direction (as best shown in FIG. 6). In this manner, the same prong unit can be used for either the United States or European type of connection by merely reversing the prong unit and applying it to the proper openings 80 or 82.

Inorder to hold the prong unit in lixed position in the plug body 68, spring clips 90 extend from the body 88 to which they are releasably connected into the body 68 where they are molded in place, to releasably but irmly hold the bodies 68 and 88 together and prevent the prongs from being pulled out of the plug body 68 during use.

The housing 12 is preferably constructed to simulate a piece of luggage and is provided with a handle grip 92 connected to the housing 12 by straps 94 which are, in turn, connected to the housing 12 by rivets or the like shown at 96. There is also provided an operable case cover 98, preferably of the same material and thickness as the housing 12.` The cover 98 is hinged at 99 to the case and is provided with a flanged portion 100 adapted to snugly embrace the front edge of the housing 12. When the cover is in closed position, it is adapted to be held firmly in place by a pair of clamps 102 fastened to the housing 12, one on each side. TheseV clamps have small metal loops that fit over a corresponding catch on the coverv 98. When a small lever attached to the clamp is pressed down, the loop over the catch on the cover 98 is tightened, making it impossible for the cover 9S to fall olf` or be removed until the lever of the clamp 102 is pressed up. If desired, any other type of cover means may be used.

The device 10, in addition to serving as a heating unit, may also serve to provide additional electrical current outlets for other electrical appliances, such as toasters, electric razors, electric blankets, coiee makers, etc. For this purpose', there are provided a plurality of sockets 104 on the front face of the housing 12. These sockets 104 may be connected directly to the contact lingers 58 by means of contact rings similar to those shown at 64, or they may be connected to the switch 32. In this manner, the entire unit 10 acts as an adaptor whereby an American type of appliance having an American type of plug can be connected' to an European type of receptacle.

In addition to its use as a space heater for warming a room or similar area, the device 10 may also be used as an electric stove or hot plate for cooking anything that does not require an oven.

By providing a low and medium range heating coil which may be operated individually or together by a switch, the voltage is controlled without the use of a voltage regulator.

Although this invention has been described in con- Ldas? g siderable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of the invention, what is claimed is:

A readily portable 1uggage-type electric heating device comprising a parallelepiped-shaped carrying case, insulating material having a substantially rectangular recessed heat radiation face filling the major portion of said case above its bottom, said recessed face being dencd by inwardly inclined reflecting side walls ending in a reilecting rear face, supporting rods extending through two opposite side walls, heating coils insulatedly mounted on said supporting rods in front of said radiation face, at least one of said coils having a greater heating action with the same electrical current than the other of the coils, switch means on said case for selectively actuating said coils individually and together, electrical connecting means for connecting said switch means to a source of electrical energy, auxiliary electrical sockets provided on said case, said auxiliary sockets being electrically connected through said electrical connecting means to the source of electrical energy, said electrical connecting means comprising a shaft extending across the bottom of said case beneath said radiant face and journaled on bearings mounted on opposite side walls of said case, a spool mounted on said shaft, a cable having an electrical contact plug at one end and connected to contact rings on said shaft at its other end, spring contact fingers contacting said contact rings and connected to conduits to said switch means, spring means resiliently and rotatably urging said shaft to wind said cable on said spool and retract said plug to a position adjacent said case, ratchet means for holding said shaft with said cable in extended position, auxiliary electrical sockets in said case connected to said conduits from said spring contact lingers, said switch means and auxiliary'sockets also being located beneath said radiant face, and a luggage-type cover detachably mounted on said open-face case to protect said radiation-face when not in use.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,672,509 Vedder June 5, 1928 1,707,982 Humphrey Apr. 9, 1929 2,171,662 Marchand Sept. 5, 1939 2,879,369 Huseby Mar. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 527,634 France July 28, 1921 41,430V Norway Dec. 28, 1925 162,020 Austria Ian. 10, 1949 

